The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who was caught on a local liquor store’s surveillance video stashing two bottles of alcohol into his pants’ pockets will be sentenced on Monday.

Police arrested Cody Rahming after he stole two 40-ounce bottles of Ciroc and Jack Daniels from a wholesale bar on Nassau Street on November 23.

He owned up to the offence during his arraignment before Magistrate Kendra Kelly, but said he only stole the alcohol to sell it so he could buy food.

The court was told that on the day in question, the owner of the bar told police that a man had come into his store and put two bottles of rum in his trousers, before leaving his establishment. The prosecution said a video of the incident circulated on social media and officers were able to identify and arrest Rahming a short time later. When he was questioned in custody, he admitted the offence.

During the hearing, Rahming told the magistrate he was going through a difficult time. Still, he said, his “situation” did not justify what he did and insisted he was “apologetic” for his actions.

“I just came out of prison,” Rahming told the court. “I’m homeless and I got a room at a motel, but they kicked me out after I could not pay and they took my clothes. I ended up sleeping outside or in old cars. I had no way to eat and I have no family in Nassau.”

On Friday, Rahming also said he had received a job offer in Eleuthera and begged the court for “one last chance.”

In response, Magistrate Kelly said while the court was minded to give him another opportunity, she did not want to “send him out on the street to continue his same pattern of behaviour.”

As a result, she said she would defer her sentence to next week to give herself the opportunity to verify the information Rahming told the court.

He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until then.